Minutes
by Tadewi
Summary: It only took an hour to change everything. The blast, being taken, in a matter of minutes Korra's world was turned for the worse. After Amon's downfall everything was peaceful nothing had disturbed the balance until the blast. Thousands were dead in the streets, Korra needed to reunite with Mako. There was a higher power out there planning to destroy her, and they were winning. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Korra.**

One hour before impact.

Korra squinted her eyes and averted her eyes from the sunlight reflecting off the lake in central park. It was an odd day in Republic City; it was the middle of winter and the sun was out in full force. The snow was slowly melting around Korra causing the ground to dampen beneath her boots. Korra looked up from the ground and wrapped her sweater around her body tightly. Since Amon's fall to power Republic City entered peacetime once again. The first few months after Korra's return from the South Pole were hectic and exhaustive. Korra had the task of returning bending to those who it taken by Amon. Korra recalled returning the bending to thousands and returning to Air Temple Island late at night and sleeping endlessly for days when she finished.

Korra looked ahead of her to see Mako positioning the camera, he quickly stepped away from it and rushed towards Korra throwing his arm around her. Korra smiled as the memory of their first 'I love you' resurfaced in her mind.

"Ready?" Mako asked. Korra nodded in return, Mako took a deep breath, "One, two, three…" Mako counted down as he pushed a button and a flash emitted from the camera. Korra rubbed her eyes trying to get rid of the white spots that imprinted themselves in her vision.

"Spirits, could that light be any brighter?" Korra said sarcastically. Mako laughed as he packed up the camera.

"Come on let's go to my place so I can develop the picture."

Korra and Mako roamed through the streets of Republic City before they reached Mako and Bolin's new apartment. Ever since Mako got a job as a police officer him and his brother were able to live more lavishly. The apartment was only thirty minutes away from Republic City Central Park; it was the tallest building in the city giving a bird's eye of the whole city. After taking the elevator to the 25th floor Mako and Korra entered the apartment. They entered the opening room to find out that Bolin was out on a date. Mako quickly set the camera on the coffee table and removed the film from the camera.

Thirty minutes before impact.

"I am going to the dark room," Mako told Korra.

As Mako headed towards the dark room Korra took refuge on the couch. She peered around the apartment that was now decorated with photos of their past adventures. Korra picked herself off the couch and made her way to the adjacent wall that was filled with framed photos. Korra picked up a photo of her Mako and Bolin in their Pro-Bending uniforms cheering after they had just won a match. Korra smiled to herself remembering how much she liked Mako and was hoping to Agni that he had liked her back. She would have never imagined that they would be end up together, but fate took its course. Korra placed the picture back on the wall and picked up the next picture beside it. This picture was of the new Team Avatar; her, Mako, Bolin, and Asami were smiling around a panting Naga.

Korra felt a pang in her chest remembering the pained expression on Asami's face once her and Mako announced that they were together.

"It's done!" Mako said as he reentered the room smiling.

Mako's topaz eyes met Korra's with concern, "Hey what's wrong?"

Korra looked down at the photo once more, "It's just…sometimes I feel that it is my fault for Asami's disappearance."

"Why?" Mako placed a hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her.

"When we told everyone we were together she looked so crushed, and she cut us out of her life completely."

"Korra, I know what I did was shitty, but if I stayed with Asami I would be hurting her more by pretending to be in love with her when I was meant for someone else. Sometimes you can't make everyone happy."

Korra sighed placing the picture back on the wall and giving Mako a kiss on the cheek. Korra smiled, "Now let's see the new addition!" Korra snatched the photo from Mako's hands and held it before her. She saw herself smiling at the camera, her eyes sparkling with joy. Mako was standing next to her his arm draped over her shoulder; unlike Korra though Mako was not looking into the camera instead her was looking at Korra with gentle amber eyes and a loving smirk.

"I love it." Korra said kissing Mako and handing him the picture. Korra loosened her sweater as she entered the kitchen.

Ten minutes before impact.

"Are you hungry?" asked Korra.

"Yes! Let's make some fire noodles."

Korra nodded as she went over to the sink to gather some water to boil. Korra placed the pot in the sink as she bent the water from the faucet putting the exact amount in the pot. Korra looked out the window that gave a flawless view of Central Park; the sky was still bright and clear, but off in the distance there were clouds approaching.

"Oh looks like the snow is coming sooner than we anticipated," remarked Korra. Mako moved from the stove and went to stand by Korra to see what she was talking about. The clouds were approaching the city quickly.

Mako scrunched his eyebrows together, "Herm strange clouds can't move that fast." Korra shrugged disregarding his comment and moving the water to the stove to boil the water.

Suddenly a bright ball of light emerged from the clouds and was hurling towards the city. Mako's eyes widened as he watched the ball of light inch closer and closer to Central Park.

Forty seconds till impact.

"Korra, Korra," Mako felt himself panic.

Korra shifted her focus from the stove to Mako, "Mako, wha..." Korra's eyes widened as she saw the ball of light.

Fifteen seconds.

"Korra move!" Mako grabbed Korra and rushed her toward the door of the apartment.

Five seconds.

Before Mako got a hold of the doorknob the light made impact. There was a large explosion; Mako and Korra's body's jerked forward and slammed against the wall. The building crumbled around them. Outside at Central Park a mushroom cloud took form shutting out all sunlight from the city.

Ten minutes after impact.

Mako regained consciousness as he felt the debris on his body. A layer of dirt and dust clung itself to Mako's face, he felt the blood rushing down the side of his face from his temple. Mako shifted his body pushing the debris from his body; he placed his calloused hand on his temple feeling the freshly cut skin. Mako moved quickly looking for Korra; he found her a few feet away from the door under a block of cement. Mako used all of his strength to push the block off of her.

He looked at Korra's face to see that she had various cuts on her face and had blood rushing from her temple, "Korra!"

Korra shifted groaning in pain as she opened her eyes, "My head…" She tried to hoist herself up but winced in pain, "Ah! I think I few of my rips are broken and my ankle hurts." Korra looked over at Mako seeing that he had blood rushing from his head. "Mako I need to heal us."

"No we don't have enough time." Mako peered on the floor looking for something; he quickly picked up a bowler hat from the ground and placed it on Korra's head. "Conceal your identity. They may be after you." Mako didn't know why, but he had a feeling that things were going to get dangerous really fast. He stepped forward towards the door and felt something crack beneath him; he moved his foot to see a picture of him and Korra smiling into the camera as they entered the Probending Arena. The glass was cracked right down the middle separating him and Korra. Mako composed himself again and pulled Korra as they left the apartment taking the stairway down making sure to avoid any unstable ground.

Forty minutes after impact.

They finally made it to the streets only to find themselves huddled with others who were running for their lives. Korra looked at the ground to see a pair of vacant eyes gazing back at her.

"Mako!" Korra felt her body freeze over. Mako tried pulling her so they could run with the crowd, but it was no use.

"Korra we need to keep moving!" Mako screamed.

Cars began pulling over on the side of the road, doors were opening and closing as men in uniforms began to file out and grab those who were running. Shots were fired at those who resisted; the crowd around them ran faster as shots were fired. Many who resisted lay on the ground lifeless along with those who had been killed by the initial blast. Mako looked at Korra as men began to approach them, he stood in front of her protectively.

Korra felt the urge to fight with the resistance as she tried to push past Mako, "Mako, I can…" Benders near them who put up a fight were shot repeatedly.

"No, Korra don't use any bending they will kill you." Korra's eyes widened as she came to the realization that her and Mako might die. Another car had pulled over on the side of the road and a stout man emerged from the passenger seat. He was wearing a black uniform with various medals decorated across it. He approached Mako and Korra making sure his freshly shined boots were not scuffed.

He looked at Mako disgusted, "What filth do we have here?"

Mako looked into the man's beady eyes with rage. The ground began to rumble as machines approached them. The whole street had been cleared in an instant, the machines pushing aside dead bodies carelessly. The deceased were being burned, while those who were still alive were being piled into trucks.

The man stood before them smirking, "Ah, here we are." A few machines about 8 feet high halted before them. The machines turned towards Mako outstretching their metal handles grabbing Mako. He breathed fire at them trying to break free, but his bending had no affect.

"A bender!" said the uniformed man with a maniacal laugh.

"NO!" Korra screamed. Mako looked at Korra with pleading eyes hoping she wouldn't do anything. Korra looked into the beady man's eyes, "Take me instead."

The man moved towards Korra with a sinister smile, "So this is your lover?" Korra kept her eyes at level with the man trying to show her determination.

He inched towards her stopping before their lips touched, "My you are exotic." He grazed his hand over her side; he looked at her with hungry eyes. Mako fidgeted in the machine's grasp.

"Commander what do we do with the male?" the machine asked.

The commander removed his gaze from Korra, "Take him away, I will have her." Korra felt the tears streaming down her face. She tried to push the commander aside, but he grabbed her arm.

"Oh a feisty one!"

"Let me go!" Korra spit in his face as he lost grip of her. He pounced towards her knocking her down. He withdrew his gun and hit her in the back of the head with it knocking her out.

"That will teach you a lesson!"

Mako finally released himself from the machine and he was shooting lighting at them trying to slow them down, but nothing worked. He hovered over Korra's body holding her close to his chest; he felt the tears welling up in his eyes.

"Ah, young love. They call it young for a reason. Remove him," ordered the Commander.

Mako quickly took the picture of him and Korra that they had taken just a few hours ago and shoved it in Korra's jacket pocket. He held her close whispering, "Don't bend, don't let them know who you are. We will find each other I promise. I love you." Deep down he knew Korra had heard every word. Mako felt the machines yank him once more.

"Let's make sure you don't escape this time." The Commander said as he raised his gun and pulled the trigger. The bullet had lodged itself in Mako's leg.

"AHHHH!" Mako screamed as he was thrown in the back of a truck.

90 minutes after impact.

**A/N: I hope you all liked it! I have been playing around with this idea for a while and I finally decided to write it out. Reviews are welcome. I am putting a little hold on Discovering (my other story) so I can work and develop this one. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Korra.**

1440 minutes after impact.

Korra woke up in a dark damp cell. On instinct Korra immediately looked around her searching for the amber eyes she so desired to clash with her cerulean eyes. Then she remembered how he had been taken away from her, how the machines had torn them apart. _"Don't bend, don't tell them who you are,"_ the voice in her mind kept repeating itself over and over again. Korra shoved her hands into her coat pocket feeling a folded piece of paper, she pulled out the piece of paper and unfolded it seeing the picture that her and Mako had taken the day they were separated.

Korra felt the tears rush down her cheek, she held the picture up to her lips kissing it. The cell Korra was placed in was freezing and barely 5 feet in length and width. Korra could barely breath because she felt so caged in.

Her cell door opened as a man in a black uniform entered her cage. "Get up bitch." Commanded the man. Korra stood up immediately ignoring the pain in her ribs and ankles. The man went over to her grabbing her arm and dragging her out into the hallway.

"Move!" Korra began walking down the hallway obeying the directions the man gave her. Korra soon realized that she was in city hall, when she stopped before the main council office.

A woman met her at the entrance shoving clothes into her hands. "Go inside he is waiting for you." Korra could not feel her legs anymore, she felt numb as she walked into the room. Korra walked into the office to see that it was completely refurnished with a bed and a single desk. Above the desk was a painted portrait of the commander whom had taken Korra away from Mako.

She felt a hand on the small of her back, "Why don't you change so we can continue?" Korra did not move she knew what was coming, but she kept her ground refusing to comply with the commander's demands. The commander sensed her defiance and grabbed a fistful of her hair and held a blade to her neck.

"I said, why don't you change." Korra felt her pulse quicken as the blade inched closer. "Understand?"

"Yes." The commander released her by shoving her towards the washroom. Korra entered the porcelain bathroom and looked into the mirror. She didn't even recognize the woman staring back at her. Her cerulean eyes once vibrant had faded. Dirt was still clung to her face from the blast. Korra slowly removed her clothes and looked at the various bruises across her body. She quickly bent the water from the sink and began to heal herself, her body was slowly rejuvenated but her mind still remained numb. She grabbed the clothes that were handed to her and took notice that it was skimpy lingerie. Korra pulled the slip over her head noticing that the fabric was very sheer and barely covering her breasts. Korra then put on the underwear that was given to her, and attached the garter that came with it. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She was the avatar, she was supposed to be strong, but in that moment Korra loss sense of her identity.

Korra opened the door, hoping that maybe the commander would make her go through worse torture than this. The commander looked at her from across the room with lustful eyes. He began to walk towards her and stopped right in front of her with a smirk plastered on his face. Korra felt her body go rigid as the commander cupped her breasts, she tried to ignore the way his hands explored her body. Nobody, but Mako was allowed to touch her that way. Her slip was falling off her shoulder, the commander grabbed a fistful of the slips fabric and ribbed it off of her as he kissed Korra. Korra fought the urge to push him off of her and run, but she was not prepared for death yet. He pushed Korra on the bed and he made himself busy by pulling off Korra's underwear.

"My dear you are going to scream…" the commander said as he was unbuttoning his trousers. He grabbed Korra's shoulders as he thrust himself inside of her. Korra let the tears fall down her face as he thrust harder and faster. She felt his nails dig into her skin as more tears fell down her face. The commander soon finished and ordered her out of the room. Another guard had entered the commander's room and dragged her back into her cell.

When they reached her cell he threw her on the floor along with a black jumpsuit, "Here is your new uniform."

Korra did not bother picking herself off the floor, she lay there holding her knees into her chest. "I'm so sorry." Korra repeated over and over again. She reached for her bed and picked up the photo of her and Mako she held it closely to her chest and wept.

1510 minutes after impact.

Korra's cell door opened once more, and she quickly hid the photo of her and Mako under her pillow.

"Stand up bitch." Ordered the guard. Korra picked herself up and looked into the man's brown eyes. He unlatched a whip from his belt with a smirk on his face, "Remove clothing, now." Korra removed her tattered slip revealing her bare skin to the guard, she could feel the bruises already forming from her encounter with the commander.

"Turn around." Korra turned her back towards the guard as he cracked the whip.

"AH!" Korra screamed as she felt her skin lash out from the force of the whip.

"Shut the fuck up!" the guard grabbed Korra by her hair and threw her against a wall of her cell. Korra felt her head crack when she made impact with the wall, her vision was blurred but refocused again when the guard began whipping her. She tried to suppress her cries not wanting to show weakness, but every now and then a scream would escape from her lips and with each scream came another punch from the guard. Korra's head was throbbing and she was sure that a few of her ribs were broken. Korra could taste the blood in her mouth, her vision was completely askew and she was sure that she was going to pass out if he hit her again.

Just as the guard lifted the whip again another soldier entered the room, "That's quite enough." The guard stood up straight and saluted the woman at the cell door.

"Go back to your post soldier."

"But ma'am, I was not—''

"That's an order." The guard attached the whip back to his belt and left her cell. As soon as the guard left the woman closed Korra's cell door and peered through the small window to make sure there were no one passing through.

"Get up." Korra tried to regain her balance but struggled, she stumbled forward but the woman caught her before she could hit the floor. Korra looked into the woman's grey eyes remaining silent. "You're the Avatar."

Korra felt her stomach drop, they knew and she was going to die.

1560 minutes after impact.

A/N: I know it has been a long time since I have updated on any of my stories. It is shameful, but college started again and I have been slammed with work. But now that everything is back on track be expecting more updates! And check out my new story! It is for the Game of Thrones/ A Song of Ice and Fire fandom! Don't forget to review, thanks for reading.


End file.
